Nimbus Publishing ISBN: 978-1774712344

About The Story When Jane Mooney’s older brother Connor lies about his age and enlists in the Great War at age fifteen, she can’t imagine ever being more devastated. But on December 6, 1917, when two ships collide in Halifax Harbour, the resulting explosion proves her wrong. An injured Jane awakes to discover that the North End of Halifax, including her home, has been destroyed. Like so many Explosion survivors, she and her family are forced to start over. At the start of the 1918 school year, Jane’s life appears more hopeful—until she hears rumblings of a new enemy at their door. The Great Influenza Pandemic (known as Spanish Flu) has reached Halifax’s vulnerable shores. In a time of financial and emotional strain, and with this terrifying new threat, how will Jane keep her family safe? And why hasn’t she heard from Connor? Is he alive? Will he ever return from the battlefields? Winner of 2024 IODE Violet Downey Book Award Finalist, Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize Finalist, City of Victoria Children’s Book Prize Finalist, CCBC Geoffrey Bilsen Award for Historical Fiction

The Story Behind the Story

I began the research for Out of the Dark shortly after the publication of A Blinding Light. I thought it would be interesting to follow my characters through the aftermath of the Explosion and the outbreak of the Spanish Flu in 1918. How would the outbreak be handled in Halifax? How would my characters, who had already endured so much, cope with a deadly, often fatal, pandemic? Who would get sick? Who would take care of them? Would any of them die? These were some of my questions.

By early 2020 I was well into my first rough draft when WHAM! Along comes a modern global pandemic: Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid 19). The questions I’d been pondering—not only regarding the pandemic but also the war and the Explosion— would prove to be disturbingly relevant to my own time and place.

Reviews

The directions of this story are dark, but the writing lightens the whole, and creates depth and caring.…Out of the Dark is a rich story of an historical time, led by a main character who grows as a result of those times, with all the resilience needed. An inspiring story…. The British Columbia Review

Touching on topics still relevant today, including domestic violence, poverty, global pandemics, social exclusion, and the global impact of war, Out of the Dark gives readers a sense of what it’s like when these social issues intersect…. Jane’s innocence, struggle, and persistence, along with her dramatic flair, make Out of the Dark a page-turner that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. CM Magazine: Canadian Review of Materials —5 Star Review, Highly Recommended

Where to Buy this book

Out of the Dark is available:

1. at your local bookstore or children's bookstore.
2. by placing an order with your local bookstore or online bookseller.
3. directly from the publisher, Nimbus Publishing.
4. as an e-book from many e-book sellers.

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